Between Life and Death
by Krisuvial
Summary: A hunt goes wrong and Sam is in a coma. He is stuck between life and death where he must make a decision to return to Dean or stay and continue to Heaven with his mom, dad, and Jess. What will Sam choose? Will Jess's surprise convince Sam one way or another?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at a two-shot. Sam is 26, which makes Dean 30. John is dead but Bobby is still alive. It doesn't really fit into the actually Supernatural timeline anywhere. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural. DUH.**

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><p><em><strong>Shhh, Sammy, no more tears my son. You are safe now.<strong>_

Sam blinked. He looked around. He was laying on a beach, toes in the warm sand. He could hear the crashing of waves yards ahead of him, smell the sweet salty water that only an ocean could provide. He was close enough that he could even taste the salt mixing with the moisture in the air.

_Where am I? Where's Dean? How did I end up here?_

Sam stood up slowly, expecting his legs to buckle underneath him. When they didn't, he walked up to the edge of the water and waded in ankle-deep. The water was cool, but not cold. The perfect temperature for swimming or surfing. Which was strange. When he fell asleep it was mid-winter, in South Dakota. They were at Bobby's house, planning a hunt. Then they left, and Sam knew he got hurt. Or he thinks he did, at least.

_**Come to me, baby boy. I want to keep you safe. I couldn't before, but now I can.**_

Sam moved slowly down the coast. He was alone, no people or animals. There wasn't anyone on the lifeguard stations or even any picnic baskets or blankets on the beach. It was just Sam, but he didn't feel alone.

Well, there was this voice. A soft, female, comforting voice. One he'd heard long ago, one that was eerily familiar and yet he couldn't place it.

_What happened to me? _

_**You are safe now, my child. Come on home now. It's been too long, Sammy.**_

Sam looked at his arms and legs. Not a cut, not a scar on them. His arm wasn't broken. His legs were fully functional. The scar from a childhood surgery was gone from his stomach. Instead of felt whole, relaxed. Something he hadn't felt for as long as he could remember. Like the world wasn't falling down around him and it was up to him to either let it fall apart or rescue it.

Sam realized he was walking around naked. But it didn't bother him like it should have. He felt comfortable, at peace. He instinctively knew that nakedness was the norm in this place. That clothes didn't exist, the idea itself ridiculous. This wasn't a place where people would judge him for seeing him the way he was.

_**I told you, Sam. This is a safe place. Come to me.**_

_Where am I? Where's Dean? What happened?_

He continued to walk for what felt like an hour. Something was pulling him north along the shore. It was a familiar feeling, one that rang of love and tenderness. The walk was comforting, relaxing, peaceful. It didn't tire him out the way it should. Hell, he knew he shouldn't even be able to walk.

Finally Sam discovered he wasn't alone. A figure stood yards away, not looking his way, eyes trained on the horizon. He wasn't the one with memories of her, and yet Sam knew she was. She was the one pulling him north, into safety.

Sam would recognize this woman anywhere. Even though he was only six months old when she died and had no memories of her, he still knew who she was. He didn't even need to examine the pictures Dean had of her to be sure. She was standing there, watching the sunset, golden hair in waves down her back and a halo atop her head. There was no marks on her body. Not even where she had been brutally slashed open over his crib all those years ago.

"Mom," Sam breathed. Mary turned around and smiled at her baby boy. It was this smile that assured him that he was safe, that he was supposed to be here. The smile he grew up not knowing, but could see in Dean every time his brother cared for him, sick and wounded or healthy and complaining. The never-ending patience his brother seemed to have for him was obviously an extension of their mother's love.

"Sam," she responded, opening her arms. Sam ran to finish the distance and hung on for dear life. The embrace was so familiar to him he thought he'd cry. She held him as Dean held him countless times, rubbing circles on his back as he had done.

"Mom," Sam whispered, voice cracking. "What happened to me? Where am I? Where's Dean?"

Mary ran a hand through her son's hair, turning to the sunset but not pulling away from her boy. "Sammy, I miss you so much," she stated, her voice full of emotion. It was everything Sam had ever imagined it to sound like. "I'm so sorry for leaving you and Dean all those years ago."

Sam sniffled. "It's not your fault, Mom," he whispered. "The demon..."

Mary backed up and sat in the sand, her feet in the water. Sam followed, not letting go. Not now that he finally got to spend time with the one person he craved the most growing up.

"Honey, I of all people made a deal with a demon," she sighed. Sam rested his head on her shoulder, an act he'd longed to do his whole life. "I knew what I was getting myself into. If I had left the demon alone that night in your room, I would have lived. Maybe. But I thought he was going to take you away from us. You know now that I was raised in a hunter family. I married John to get away from that life. I didn't want this for you or Dean. I wanted you both to grow up normal. I wanted that apple-pie life you craved growing up. I didn't want hunting to interfere with raising my children. Whay John did... Well I understood. But it's not what I wanted."

"_Sammy? Sammy? I need you, little brother! Please, please wake up!"_

Sam looked around. "Dean?"

Mary looked out at the water. "Dean is in your hospital room, Sam. Your body is in a coma right now. As we speak, doctors and nurses are trying to resuscitate you. You were injured on a hunt, baby."

"Am I dead?" Sam questioned.

"_Sammy? C'mon, brother, please! I can't do this without you! Not again!"_

Mary wiped tears off of her son's face. "Not quite, Sam. Not yet. It's up to you if you want to go back, or stay with me. I can take you to Heaven, where you belong. With me, forever. Dean will join us when his time is up. Or you can go back now, and be with your brother."

Sam nodded slowly. He was pain free right now. Guilt free. He was with his mom, for the first time ever. He could spend forever with her, starting now, if he wanted. He knew twenty-six was an early age to leave Earth behind, but it felt so good to be at peace for the first time ever.

"Where's Dad?" Sam questioned.

"He's waiting for us," Mary answered. "You'll see him soon. Trust me, he's suffered for his crimes on Earth. Thanks to you boys, he was returned to me. He's waiting for you too, son. So is Jessica."

"Jess..." Sam breathed. He expected the heartache that normally came with hearing his one true love's name, but it never came.

"She has a surprise for you too, Sam," Mary announced. "Would you like to see?"

"_Sammy, please..."_

"If I go, I can't return to Dean," Sam whispered, standing as Mary stood. Both knew he would go anywhere she took him.

"Jess wants to see you," Mary stated. "She came with me. Turn around, baby boy."

Sam looked up in surprise. He turned around to see Jess, her long blonde hair cascading down her own naked body. There is no shame here, in this place. Jess is exactly the way Sam remembers her to be. All her scars are gone as well. The one from chicken pocks on her collarbone and another from an appendectomy as a ten-year-old. The small one on her right leg from a car accident as a teenager. And on her hips are two toddlers with curly blonde hair and green eyes.

"Jess?" Sam asks as they approach, eyes wide.

Jessica gives Sam a huge grin, her eyes full of love and wonder, just as Sam remembered them from years before. "Sam! I have a surprise for you!"

The toddlers were placed on the beach. They ran over to Sam as he knelt down, taking them both in his arms. A boy and a girl, a perfect blend of Sam and Jess.

"I was going to tell you the next morning," Jess stated, kneeling down as well. "I found out that day Dean came, before you left. I was going to tell you after your law school interview. Well, back then I only knew I was pregnant. I was planning on going to a doctor with you, so we could find out everything together."

Tears fell from Sam's eyes as the two children hugged their father tight. "Jess, I am so sorry."

Jess wiped the tears from Sam's eyes. "It's nothing you had control over, Sam. I knew that back then and I know that now. Mary was waiting for me after Brady, the demon, slashed me open. The twins had gone first, instantly. Mary had them in her arms when I finally made it here. I was forced to stay and see the pain in your eyes. I knew then that this was nothing you control over. Please stop hating yourself. If not me, it would have happened to someone else."

"What are their names?" Sam questioned.

"Mary Elizabeth Winchester and Aaron Samuel Winchester," Jess answered, pride in her voice. Sam gave a small smile. Mary, his mother. Elizabeth, her mother. Aaron, her grandfather. Samuel, her only love. All the people she had ever loved.

"They are perfect names," Sam whispered. The kids curled up in his arms, warm and protected.

"And, Sam?" Jess continued. Sam looked up again. "Yes, I will marry you."

Tears fell again. Sam had bought the ring and was planning on popping question after his interview. One way or another, law school or no, he was going to have his apple-pie life with his love. And apparently their twins. But the demon changed everything...

"_Sammy? Bobby, I can't do this. What if he never wakes up...?"_

The sun sunk further in the horizon. Sam figured there was only minutes of the warm light left.

"Son, you need to make a choice now."

Sam looked up. His father was standing next to Mary now, a peaceful look over his normally broken features. Not a scar marred his body either. Even his eyes shown with happiness. Jess took the twins and stood on Mary's other side. Sam looked back out over the ocean.

"A choice?" Sam questioned, already knowing the answer and dreading it at the same time.

"You must decide whether to go back to Dean, or stay here with us," Mary explained, voice soft and pleasant. She would accept either choice and back him completely.

"I have to choose between you all and Dean?" Sam wondered, sinking to his knees. He didn't want to make this decision.

"Sam, your brother needs you," Jess stated. "We will be waiting for you if you choose to go back, like we've been waiting for you these years. There will always be a place for you here."

"_Sammy, c'mon, man. You're all I have left. Much as I love Bobby... without you... I can't go on. I won't. Sammy, please little brother. I need you to wake up. Show them you're stronger than this, that you are still holding on."_

"How long do I have?" Sam demanded, his voice broken.

"Five minutes," John announced, sadness in his voice. He hated that his youngest had to make such an awful decision. "It's already been five minutes out there since you arrived in this place. Your body is dying and after that ten minutes there will be nothing to return to. You must choose before the sun is gone."

_Five minutes. I have to choose... Dean needs me. But Mom... and Jess... and God, I have twins! How can I leave them all, after just getting them back? But Dean needs me too... How can I choose...?_

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><p><strong>What will Sam choose? Hmmm?<strong>

**Haha my first attempt at a two-shot. I tried to make it angsty or whatever. Not sure how close to home it hit. Trying to get myself into a writing groove to work on my other two stories. I haven't forgotten them! Working on new chapters now, I promise. And another story, which I won't post for a while. Promise.**

**Reviews are lovely! Second part will probably be up over the weekend. **

**Rock on!**

**~Kris~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay. I haven't forgotten about my other stories, just haven't been in the mood to write. I really wanted to finish this though, so here you are!**

**Um... a little warning for suicide. Sorry, don't hate!**

**Thanks for favoriting and alerting! **

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><p>"Are you sure, Sam?" John questioned, one hand on his youngest son's shoulder. "You can't change your mind once you chose."<p>

"Sam, please do this for _you_, not anyone else," Jess pleaded.

"I am doing this for me," Sam responded. "It's completely selfish of me. God, I never thought I'd have to make a choice like this. I've never done something so selfish."

"Daddy?" the twins asked in unison. Sam's eyes watered as both reached up to his face.

_Sammy, Sammy, GOD what did I do wrong?_

"He's suffering so much," Sam whispered, looking into his mother's eyes.

"My baby boy, we have all suffered through grief before," Mary replied. "Your father and brother both did after I died. You did after Jess died. And you all lived through it."

John nodded. "Sam, Dean will get through this. He's strong. He has Bobby and Caleb and Jim..."

"But Dean... he won't just let me stay dead," Sam sighed. "He'll come after me, or try to make a deal..."

Mary just smiled. "Don't you worry, Sam. No demon will make a deal with him. Not for your life back, if this is what you choose. We will make sure of that."

"And if he chooses to follow you," John continued, "then we will welcome him with open arms. Our family will be together again. Complete."

Sam looked down. "Dean will die," he mumbled.

_C'mon, Sammy, please, do something! You're stronger than this..._

Sam shook his head, tears in his eyes. "But I'm not. I'm weak. That's why... that's why I'm choosing to stay. I can't go back."

The twins clung tightly to their father. Mary, Jess and John all came over and hugged him, comforting him.

"Everything will be fine, baby," Mary whispered as the sun finished setting. "I promise."

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><p>Sam was pronounced dead at 6:47 PM. The nurses offered Dean a listening ear, the doctors recommended grief counseling. Bobby just barely managed to get Dean out of the hospital, into the Impala for the first time in twenty-four hours, and into his home at the junkyard. Dean didn't say a word, just grabbed the first alcoholic drink he could find and went to the library for research.<p>

It took Dean about eight days to realize not a single demon would make a deal with him. Eight days of hiding his grief from Bobby, drowning it in Jack and moonshine. The strongest spirits did nothing for him. Especially when he finally broke down and let Bobby bury Sam early that day.

He left a simple note for his adoptive father before taking a final swig from his bottle of Jack. The seven pills went down easily with the liquor. He relaxed on his bed, closing his eyes for the last time. Bobby was gone for the weekend on a hunt. Dean would be long gone by the time he returned.

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><p>"I thought you would chose a more, well, creative way to go out."<p>

That voice was so familiar. Dean blinked, looking up to a starry night sky. He was in a small clearing, surrounded by tall trees and small bushes. The grass underneath him was soft and slightly ticklish.

"I figured it would have been a hunt," the voice continued. "Sacrificing yourself for some other person. You know, the family business."

"Sammy?" Dean asked, sitting up. He turned left. Yes, that voice belonged to his little brother. His little brother who was currently smiling, holding a little girl, not a scar or scratch on him, even though Dean knew every single spot where one should be.

"Pills and alcohol?" Sam teased. "Isn't that a girly way to go?"

Dean smirked. Definitely his little brother. "Sorry to disappoint, little brother. It was the best I could manage on such short notice. Where are we? Purgatory? This definitely isn't Hell."

Sam helped Dean stand. "I'm here to bring you to Heaven," he announced. "And I've been waiting all week. Thought your liver would give out before you had the guts to get here yourself."

They walked down a forest trail, next to a winding river. The forest was silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Millions of questions bounced around his brain. "Who is this little angel?" Dean finally wondered, motioning to the miniature Sam in his brother's arms.

"Out of all the questions you must have, that's the first one you ask?" Sam teased. He bounced his little girl. "This is... my daughter. My son is with Jess right now. This is Mary Elizabeth. She hasn't left my side all week. She wanted to meet her uncle right away."

Dean's eyes widened. "Daughter? Son? Jess? What?"

Sam gave Dean a small smile. "Turns out when that demon killed Jess, he killed our twins, too. She was gonna tell me after my interview."

"Oh, Sammy, I'm so sorry," Dean breathed.

Sam shrugged. "I'm here now, that's all that matters. And I get to spend forever with them, watch them grow now. And now you do too."

"Is that why you let go?" Dean questioned.

Sam nodded. "Partly. Dean, Mom's here too. And Dad. I just couldn't go back. I mean, I didn't know Mom when we were little. So the first chance I got to spend my life with her, well, I took it."

Dean smiled. Mom was here. And Dad. He didn't blame Sam one bit. He'd have done the same thing, given the chance.

"And, you know, no more hunting," Sam added, the joy clear in his voice. He never liked hunting. "No pain, no sorrow. It's amazing."

Dean nodded as a large clearing came into view. "I'm glad I came, then," he breathed, seeing the golden gates ahead of him.

"Everyone is so excited to see you," Sam stated. "Are you ready?"

Dean grinned. "Let's go, Sammy!"

Dean gave his name to the gatekeeper. After a quick search in his massive book, the gates opened wide. Sam and Dean stepped inside, peace washing over them as the gates shut behind them.

The Winchester family was whole once more.

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><p><strong>DON'T HATE ME. <strong>

**PLEASE DON'T HATE ME.**

**This is where my mind went with the story. I actually hadn't planned it this way at all, but this is where writing went.**

**I hope you somewhat enjoyed my little two-shot. I've never written anything so short before. I'm not really happy with it, but I like longer stories.**

**Let me know what you think! I hope you don't hate me for this...**

**-Kris-**


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